Podcasts religion Wisdom of the Wilderness E2: General benefits of time outdoors

E2: General benefits of time outdoors

Published: Oct. 13, 2020, 1 p.m.

Episode 2 details some of the benefits we can receive from just getting outside. Lowered blood pressure, reduced feelings of depression and anxiety, lowered stress levels and cortisol, and activation of the parasympathetic (aka rest and digest ) nervous system are a few of the benefits covered. Some of the stresses of urban living are mentioned, including the transition somewhere in 2008 when human population in urban areas became greater than the rural population. The steady stresses of urban life have been associated with mood disorders, and both constant stimuli and the demands of modern life can activate the sympathetic (aka fight or flight, freeze or faint) nervous system. 

As usual, everything is nuanced.

The takeaway: the more time you spend outdoors, the better you'll feel. Spending as little as 15-45 minutes in a city park--even with noise, crowds and pavement--can improve mood, feelings of restoration and vitality. A minimum of 5 hours per month in the outdoors is associated with health benefits; those benefits increase with additional time spent outside. So.... the more and more you're outside, the better and better you'll feel!

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